Local

REDLANDS, CA—- Jalani Bakari and Janice Rooths were in the studio discussing Will and Chris at the Oscars with Empire Talks Back (ETB) host Wallace Allen on the April 3 edition of the radio broadcast.

Jalani and Janice are both Community Activists, Equity Advocates, and National Influencers who reside and work in the Riverside area.

ETB is broadcast each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on KCAA 1050 AM radio. The program streams live video via http://www.kcaaradio.com.  The Empire Talks Back archive is available on all podcast sites as well as YouTube. Just ask for Empire Talks Back. If you would like to be a guest on ETB, call WssNews at (909) 384-8131.

MORENO VALLEY, CA— Learn how to create a soil amendment that’s waste free and great for gardens! On Saturday, April 2, the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources will host a free backyard composting and vermicomposting class at our headquarters in Moreno Valley (14310 Frederick Street).

Learn how to recycle organic resources, such as yard trimmings, as well as fruit and vegetable waste into a dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling soil conditioner called compost. If you don’t have yard trimmings, or lack suitable space to compost, vermicomposting is a fantastic alternative that can be done in an empty plastic bin, bucket, or kitty litter container.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It’s a great way to turn waste into a garden. In composting, organic material is mixed together in a pile or bin, where literally millions of tiny microbes digest the material and turn it into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Vermicomposting puts worms to work, as red wigglers will break down organic waste, such as apple cores and melon rinds, and turn them into a nutrient-rich byproduct called worm castings. The free class covers both composting and vermicomposting, with composting starting at 9:00 am and vermicomposting starting at 10:00 am.

If attendees would like to put the principles taught in the class into practice, compost and vermicomposting bins are available for purchase at the end of the class. These bins are only available for purchase by Riverside County residents and have a limit of three per household.  Credit card or cash payment only, no personal checks are accepted.

The class is free and will end by 11 a.m. The class will be held outdoors in our resource garden, so dress to accommodate current weather conditions.  Attendees will need to observe social distancing during the class.  These programs are offered to educate residents about the ease and advantages of organic material recycling and how composting preserves valuable space in county landfills.

For more information, call (951) 486-3200  or visit  www.rcwaste.org/classes

SACRAMENTO, CA— According to a 2019 PPIC report, only 13% of community college freshmen earn their associate degree within two years. While these rates partly reflect the diversity of student goals, only about 48 percent of students aiming to receive an associate degree or certificate do so within six years.

In response to these findings, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) introduced AB 2738: The Community Colleges Completion Act. This bill requires California Community Colleges (CCC) to reduce time to degree completion by increasing data transparency, publishing course schedules, and providing the classes necessary for students to complete their associate degrees or certificates within two years.

“Our community colleges play a key role in connecting California students, especially first-generation college students and those from low-income backgrounds to well-paying careers and four-year universities,” shared Majority Leader Reyes. “But two-year completion rates remain low, especially for our Latino and Black students. AB 2738 supports students’ goals of earning their degrees and certificates within two years by requiring colleges to take concrete steps to make this timeline possible.”

Completion rates vary by racial and ethnic groups and are particularly low for students of color. For example, while 78% of Latino students enroll with the goal of attaining a two-year degree or transferring to a four-year institution, two-thirds take six or more years to transfer.

Many students struggle to complete within two years, sometimes because of how difficult it is to plan their course schedules. While degree requirements are specified in course catalogs, students must often choose between hundreds of courses offered at inconsistent times and intervals. This makes it especially difficult for students with obligations outside of school, such as work or family, to plan for and complete their degrees.

“Because there is very little momentum through the community college pipeline, most California Community College students, especially those who are Latino, are being denied an opportunity for upward social mobility,” said Jose Fierro, President/Superintendent at Cerritos College and CALCCTA  President. “AB 2738 is a data-driven, innovative effort to close equity gaps by increasing degree and transfer rates for students of color across the State of California, and is an essential step towards equitable economic vitality.”

“The urgency to help students get ahead educationally and economically has never been greater,” said Dr. Scott W. Thayer, Interim President of San Bernardino Valley College. “With direct student support, guided academic and career pathways, state investment in community colleges, and AB 2738, we will ensure more community college students get to the finish line of their college and career goals.”

AB 2738 requires California Community Colleges to take action to reduce time to completion for students. This bill will increase transparency of data surrounding completion rates and ensure colleges develop plans to make two-year completion an achievable goal for all students.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Time for Change Foundation’s (TFCF) 20^th Anniversary Awards Gala, “Once Upon a Time” will honor outstanding individuals and organizations that go above and beyond for our community and continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

Susan Burton, Founder of A New Way of Life Reentry Project, will be honored with the Harriet Tubman Legacy Award for her outstanding dedication as an innovative model, creating both a welcoming and healing space for women to rejoin their communities after incarceration while developing leaders to work toward liberation. As a formerly incarcerated Black woman, Ms. Burton is a front-runner in the movement to reform the criminal legal system, founding committee member of the Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM), and outspoken voice to end mass incarceration.

After the 2017-18 tour in sixty-four prisons and jails, twenty-six states and three countries for her memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton, she launched the SAFE (Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality) Housing Network to replicate A New Way of Life’s effective and humane reentry model. Since 2018, Ms. Burton has mentored and supported eighteen organizations in thirteen states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington) and two countries (Uganda and Kenya) that opened their own safe homes.

Other Award Honorees include:

Patty Favela with the Ramos Family Spirit of Compassion Award, Vickie Lobo of Knock Knock Angels with the Nancy Varner Angel Award, and Carmen Perez-Jordan of The Gathering for Justice, and Jay Jordan of Time Done with the Dynamic Duo Award.

Time for Change Foundation’s 20^th Anniversary Awards Gala will be held virtually on April 28^th, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. To support the work of Time for Change Foundation, you can become a sponsor, purchase an ad in the event program book, or purchase a Gala ticket.

To purchase tickets for the event or to become a sponsor and increase your business’ visibility in the community, please visit their website at www.TimeForChangeFoundation.org, or contact Vanessa Perez at (909) 886-2994 or by email at vperez@timeforchangefoundation.org.

ARMC will host an interactive event to support women’s heart health

COLTON, CA— Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) will be holding an upcoming “Go Red” interactive event to promote women’s heart health. Each year, ARMC hosts this event at its hospital in support of American Heart Month and the American Heart Association (AHA), who created the “Go Red” initiative.

The “Go Red” event invites participants to wear red and participate in a fashion show. The event will also provide educational and interactive sessions on heart disease and strokes and their signs and symptoms. Participants will learn AHA’s “Life’s Simple Seven” steps to live a long and healthy life—getting active, eating better, losing weight, quitting smoking, controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure, and reducing blood sugar.

The event will take place on March 31, 2022, from 12–1:30 p.m., in the Oak Conference Room, and will be open to the public as well as ARMC employees. ARMC staff from a range of departments will participate in this event, including physicians and nurses who will provide information and demonstrations.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. The American Heart Association launched its “Go Red” campaign in 2004 to increase awareness of the dangers of heart disease and advocate for women’s heart health.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino City Council approved the third phase of a four phase, 53-street plan to repave and resurface streets and repair sidewalks throughout San Bernardino. The most recent contract, approved on March 16, was awarded to the Matich Corporation in the amount of $6.4 million. It will encompass segments of fourteen streets in the city. Work on this phase, which will also include ADA accessible ramps, drainage, sidewalk installation, signage, and curb/gutter improvements, will begin in early May and should be completed by October 2022.

Funding for this project will come from Measure S funds as well as budgetary savings from other projects within the City’s 2021/2022 Capital Improvement Plan.

“This is another example of San Bernardino continuing to upgrade our city’s infrastructure,” said City Manager Robert D. Field. “There is a lot more work to do, but our residents are already noticing a difference.”

Streets that will be improved in this phase are:

• Temple Street – from J Street to Perris Street (Ward 1)
• Acacia Street – from 10th Street to Baseline Street (Ward 2)
• Prospect Avenue – from Congress Street to Flood Control (Ward 3)
• Ralston Avenue – from Mt. View to Waterman Avenue (Ward 4)
• Dover Drive – from Mountain Drive to I Street (Ward 5)
• Meridian Avenue – from Foothill Blvd. to 7th Street (Ward 6)
• Parkside Avenue – from 30th Street to Parkdale Avenue (Ward 7)
• Congress Street – from Mt. Vernon to K Street (Ward 3)
• Virginia Street – from E Street to F Street and G Street to H Street (Ward 2)
• Niles Street – from San Gabriel Street to Crestview Street (Ward 2)
• Trenton Street – from Crestview Avenue to Valencia Avenue (Ward 2)
• Cedar Street – from Highland Avenue to 29th Street (Ward 2)
• Arden Street – from Highland Avenue to Pacific Street (Wards 2,7)
• Country Club Lane – from Waterman Avenue to Fremontia Drive (Ward 7)

In December 2021, a contract was awarded to Onyx Paving Company for work on seven streets across town. In February 2022, the City Council awarded a contract for nine streets to All-American Asphalt. Work on those phases is currently underway. Bidding for the final phase, which will encompass twenty-three additional street segments, will be held in May.

The streets identified for rehabilitation work were prioritized through a March 2020 pavement management analysis completed by the Public Works Department, which used scientific methods to rate the condition of all public streets in San Bernardino and to prioritize their rehabilitation.

In 2021, the City of San Bernardino Public Works Department improved and rehabilitated over 3.8 million square feet of roadway, 37,000 square feet of curb, gutter, and sidewalk, and 119 ADA accessible ramps throughout the city.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Westside Story Newspaper extends a congratulations to Lucretia Dowdy for being pinned as the President for the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony took place on Monday, March 28 at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino. This was a great way to end Women’s History Month.

Other women that were honored at the event included: Keyona Dawson, Assemblywoman Elose Reyes Gomez, Krissy Harper, Manal Iskander, Rev. Bronica Martindale, and Robin Mckinnon.

“I know my Creator is ordering my steps!” Dowdy states. “Our chapter is doing a new and different thing. Thank you to my children for attending, my king, family, and friends.”

REDLANDS, CA—- On Sunday, March 27, 2022, Empire Talks Back (ETB) included an interview with the NAACP San Bernardino Chapter President, Cha Che Wright. Westside Story Newspaper Entertainment Writer, Lou Dowdy, brought poetess Moena (see profile below) and singer Ke LaRae to the ETB audience. Both young ladies shared their talent and passion. If you would like to be an ETB guest or to suggest one, send an email to walleniv@yahoo.com.

Moena is a 20-year-old poetess and musician who currently attends California Baptist University in pursuit of her Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition. She has been writing poetry and playing music since the age of 7. From starting to write poetry and her first song in elementary school, the seed of artistic inspiration was already sown in her heart. It was later afternoons spent exploring artistic ideas in her dad’s barbershop that really allowed her to become the artist that she is today.

One of Moena’s first notable poems was about being bored; however, her journey has been anything but boring. Pursuing music has been such an exciting journey for her. It has been her deepest passion since her first piano lesson to now, composing full orchestrated works of music for various musicians to play in many genres.

It was in her middle school band program that Moena found a passion for playing woodwind instruments, and later in high school, when writing melodies became a passion for her. The clarinet, saxophone, and flute are the three woodwind instruments that Moena has focused on in the past nine years of her life and is planning on incorporating them heavily in her music for her debut album.

Moena believes that poetry and music are deeply intertwined, and both complement each other in characterizing her unique artistry. Ultimately, they are the tools that God has given her, to express her destined purpose through. Since Moena is only at the start of her career, she knows that her future is only but a blank canvas of opportunity.

Follow her on Instagram @artxmoena.

Come and Take Part in Makerspace Event at Feldheym Central Library

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Young adults ages 12 – 18 are welcome to learn Cricut basics and make a cute sticker or die cut on Saturday, March 26 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. Sixth St., which is part of the City of San Bernardino Public Library system.

Young adults are encourage to bring their creativity. Supplies will be provided.

A Cricut machine is a digital die-cutting machine that is able to make precision cuts on many different types of materials, which you can use in a variety of craft projects.

The Cricut machine is part of our Makerspace area where people can build, design, and create projects.

The maker machines also have the capability to draw simple designs and lettering. With some computer skill, people can design from scratch or use pre-existing designs.  Information is available at www.sbpl.org or 909-381-8235.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- On April 16th, 2022, at Indian Springs High School Join All Nations Worship Assembly SBD for the LARGEST FREE Easter Egg Hunt in San Bernardino County from 12:00PM – 3:00PM. 30,000 eggs, food, games, candy, and fun for the entire family! We’ll be having 4 different Egg hunts by age including a special needs hunt for ages 2-11. Can’t wait to see you there!